ksyardbird's shop

Thursday, March 12, 2015

I. Love. It!!! And I just can't wait one more day to show you the end-results of *our* project. . . . You are all were a part of this creation. . . a sweet little old box now blinged up and holding blingy parts. . . SUPER SWEET!!!

I went with the old rusty water hydrant handle, an over-sized rhinestone (missing one rhinestone, in fact) button up high on the top. . . I think it shows off the curves that the creator cut into the wood nicely. On the front, I wanted to keep it simple to really show off the old wood, chipped paint, and rusty nail heads. I dug around in my parts stash and came up with an old somewhat rusty skeleton key (to my friend who prefers her keys to face downward, I'm truly sorry. It just fit so nicely and framed that front cut out that I couldn't help myself) that fit wonderfully!

Perfect!

And up on the wall with my No. 5 birdie that was a super-special gift from a friend and my two reclaimed wood and metal wall treasures from Rubbish to Rubies.

I LOVE looking over at my Corner Creation Station and seeing the new wall collage. . . Always fun to change things up :-)

But let me back up a bit. . . . It all started with this (plain) sweet box you see below. . .ummmm. . . well, wait. It actually started with a trip to an always-full-of-great-treasures show put on my 2 Friends & Junk in Joplin, MO and my affection for wooden boxes - especially wooden toolboxes & small printer boxes (you can check out a few from my ever-growing collection HERE)

THEN I came across *this* box.

This little rough hewn, paint rubbed, obviously handmade and well-loved, but apparently eventually abandoned, box and I *saved* it. But it needed something. . . just a little something. Not a complete work over, but more of embellishments to show off all of its years of being loved and to prepare it for all the years of love to come. And I turned to you for help. I gave you some options and ideas (you can see the original blog HERE ) and you had opinions. . . I LOVE that!!!!

The more popular bling-ideas that you suggested included these:

Oooh. . . and all VERY good choices indeed. In fact, this last pic inspired me to add a little something to one of my toolboxes that's used to hold 'parts & gadgets' in the studio.

Seems quite fitting considering I'm usually dreaming up something when I head over to dig through the treasures it holds. . .

Thank you, my Favorite bLiNgY Peeps for helping me spruce up not only a sweet little box, but another toolbox AND a corner in the studio. You all are truly inspirational!!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

All the holiday decorations have been packed away for a little while now (no more bright red or pink ornaments and hearts for another year) and there's some time before pulling out the Easter decorations - so what to do in between? Do you have special decorations that aren't part of any holiday? A collection of bottles? Or tin toys? Or????

I have nests.

Why nests? With a name like 'Robin' you either hate it and do your best to avoid it, or you embrace it and run with it. Once I outgrew those school days of nicknames, I learned to embrace my name as a part of my favorite time of the year - Spring.

Some of my nests are real, some look real, some are just fun. . . and a few you have to use your imagination!

I wasn't in the mood for candles on the dining room table - so how about 'nest'ling some ceramic birds in those candle rings?

That's one of my favorite things to do - use candle pillars to show off special trinkets - like nests! Rest one on top, or even at the base of one showing off a little bird figurine. How sweet is that?

And what better use for a three-tiered cake/snack plate than to display some fun little glasses and dishes with. . . . nests!

As nests don't weigh but a few ounces and are sometimes quite small, I like to tuck them everywhere.

In a section of a vintage divided drawer used as a focal point on my favorite display cabinet in my studio. . .

And lots of nests inside the display cabinet

Such as this one with an electric 'candle' that I think is pretty darned cool (that's a nightlight fixture with a 'candle wrap' cut to height and wax-dipped bulb that I fitted inside a grapevine nest, filled it with some dry moss then set it in a votive candle holder that has a little bird perched on one side)

And this great trio of footed cupcake plates topped with rusty chicken wire 'bell jars' (would that be 'wire cages'? Maybe.) protecting the nests and porcelain robin eggs underneath.

And in the entry way - another display cabinet with a row of jars, each showing off a single nest of all sizes and shapes.

I LOVE these jars and how they can make something seem that much more special.

Of course, you may or may not expect to see a nest in a bird cage.

but pretty sure you're not expecting to see one attached to the wall. . . .

I have a special place of honor for one of my real nests

complete with an apothecary jar containing unhatched eggs. Many of my other real nests are tucked around on the covered porches. . . pretty sure the birds think my place is a birdie condo!

In case you are wondering - I only 'harvest' nests in the fall after the birds have left and before the winds begin causing havoc. I spray them with an insecticide, then spray with water and let sit in the sun to dry well for a day or two. Before bringing them inside, I do also spray them with 2-3 coats of a matte finish clear spray paint. It helps keep them together and gives them a natural 'fresh' patina.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Do you have a favorite dip or snack food? One that is your 'go-to' for all kinds of occasions. Or maybe it's something that the kids *insist* on having at every get together or holiday meal or any-ol'-day-of-the-week??

Monday, March 2, 2015

I spent Friday at a fun arts-crafts-antique market in Joplin, Missouri with a friend of mine. While I left many (oh! Still swooning over the table top printer's cabinet that still had all of its drawers. siiiiiighhhhh!) treasures there - I did come home with a few special items. One little box spoke to me. It said - 'take me home and love me.' So I did. . .

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Recently I was nominated to be a part of a Facebook Art Challenge.Yes! ME!To some, this may or may not be a big deal, but, for me, to be recognized and nominated by someone who is friends and acquainted with many well-known and extremely-talented jewelry designers and artists was a HUGE honor. Huge. And the pressure was on to share only FIVE of my favorite creations and to nominate other jewelry artists. Pressure. An honor. Honorable pressure.This Facebook Art Challenge was initiated by Donna Greenberg Arts. To participate in the art challenge, I was asked to post a piece of my art jewelry for each of the next five days and nominate another artist daily to participate. (that's wee-sneak peek you see below. . . a teaser, if you will. . . )

I'm the Co-Ruler of a 3,000 sq ft / 4-floor Kingdom I endearingly call HOME in Southeast Kansas.
I decorate it, work in it, create in it. There's Hubster & me, frequent guests (two of them stay longer than most & call us Mom & Dad), two dogs, and two cats - which means there's laughter, tears, messes, kitty litter, and lots of love within its walls. And I'm going to share it all with you - well. . . . maybe not ALL of it.
Life's a trip – Grab your GPS, Carry a fork, Heat up the glue gun, and let's go!